The Friday after Skydiving was the long-awaited Harbour Cruise! Most campuses at UOW have a Harbour Cruise event, a 3 hour cruise around Darling Harbour. For Weerona, it was a semi-formal event with pizza, drinks, and music. It was so fun getting to see everyone all dressed up, and it was especially entertaining when all the girls started getting ready at the same time. You would walk down the hall and all you heard was people looking for a curling iron, make-up, or matching purse. We all took the four o’clock train up to Sydney, and I was quite entertained by how the massive group of dressed up college kids seemed to take over the entire train. We arrived in Sydney and started making our way to the dock. It was absolutely freezing, but we couldn’t pass up the photo opportunity and stopped plenty of times to take pictures in front of the Opera House and the bridge. Everything was so pretty all lit up!
Soon it was time to get on the boat, and we were all so excited! On board, there was a bar in the middle of the main floor, a sitting area with tables and a dance space, and upstairs was more tables and chairs. It was so nice and we didn’t waste any time to start having fun. The music was so fun and it was really nice that it was only Weerona kids. We alternated between dancing and just sitting around talking, and all in all it was a great night. The view was incredible too. There were several moments when I would just sit back and take in the fact that I was cruising underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House. Sometimes it's still hard to believe that I'm here! Everyone had a really fun time, and we could hardly believe it when the three hours were over. Some of us stayed out in Sydney, but I decided to go back to Weerona with a group on the early train home. We were tired and it had been a long night since we started getting ready around two o’clock that afternoon. Traipsing around Sydney in high heels will definitely tire a girl out! By the time we got back to Weerona it was after one, and all of us were thrilled to crawl into our beds and go to sleep.
This past weekend was International Food Festival. Residents submitted recipies of their favorite international foods, and all of us got together and made everything for the whole dorm. I didn’t submit anything of my own, but after our standard Friday afternoon tea I decided to jump in and help out. I love cooking and it was so fun to get the chance to cook with everyone. Tim, who is also Italian, was making homemade Stromboli, so I decided to join forces with him. I have never made Stromboli myself before, so it was really fun to learn how. First we rolled out the dough and seasoned it with parsley and oregano. Then we topped it with mozzarella and swiss cheese. After that was red peppers, salami, and pepperoni. Finally, we rolled the whole thing up, sprinkled the leftover cheese and herbs on top, and popped it in the oven. There were so many Americans in the kitchen: Sherwood made friend chicken, Steve made pierogis, Ashley made apple pie and spinach and artichoke dip, and Cora made broccoli salad. We helped serve the food and then finally got to dig in! Everything was so delicious that all of us were so full we could have rolled out of the dining room. I wish we could cook more often; it felt like Thanksgiving with everyone packed in the kitchen cooking together. It’s so fun and everyone has such great family recipies. We'll definitely have to ask if we can do it again.
Saturday was another really fun day. Tori, a friend from my accounting class, told me that she was going to the horse races this weekend. It was her best friend’s birthday so a big group of people would be going, and she invited me to come along. I was so excited because I love horses, especially thoroughbreds, and it was on my list of things to do while I am here. So I excitedly agreed and Saturday morning they came to pick me up on their way to the race track. I didn’t have much notice so I didn’t have time to track down a hat. But much to my surprise, when Tori and Court showed up at Weerona, they were wearing fascinators. The only other time I had seen one was on tv for the Royal Wedding. At first they looking a bit odd, but now I really want one!
Once we got to the racetrack, Kembla Grange, we met up with the rest of the party and stopped to get a few drinks before we went out to the actual sitting/ viewing area. We got there just in time to see the second race of the day. Given that thoroughbreds are my favorite breed, I was practically drooling as all the gorgeous horses walked by. They started from the straightaway on the other side of us, which was difficult to see, but that meant that the home stretch was right in front of us. It was so great to see the whole field of horses galloping towards us. They really are absolutely stunning animals.
In between races, I visited with Tori, Courtney, and her friends. I got the chance to meet a lot of new people. They were all so nice, and it was nice to meet some young people who were already out of uni. It made me realize yet again that I’d be done with school soon! Good thing I get one year of grad school! Anyways, it was so nice meeting some new people and to spend a day outside in the beautiful Spring weather. It was the fifth race of the day, and Tori and I decided that we would place a bet in order to have a more well-rounded race experience. I gave the horses a quick once-over as they walked past and settled on Choisel, #1. Tori picked #3, Barogin Boy, and we placed our bets. As they warmed up, my pick looked great, but when it came down to the race it was Tori’s pick that won! She wasn’t that excited but I thought it was pretty cool that she won, even if it was just a few extra dollars in her pocket.
At the end of the day, we all took a taxi back to Wollongong and talked about the afternoon. Tori asked me how I liked my first time at the races, and I thanked her for inviting me and told her I loved it! I can’t wait to go back with some kids from Weerona!
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